Movies Like Cruel Story of Youth (1960)

Cruel Story of Youth is a 1960 crime, drama, romance film from Nagisa Ōshima with a MovieMagicScore of 6.5/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Pigs and Battleships and Gate of Flesh.

Crime Drama Romance

Pigs and Battleships

1961

In the city of Yokosuka, Kinta and his lover Haruko, both involved with yakuza, brave the post-occupation period with a goal to be together.

7.1

MagicScore

Gate of Flesh

1964

In the shady black markets and bombed-out hovels of post–World War II Tokyo, a tough band of prostitutes eke out a dog-eat-dog existence, maintaining tenuous friendships and a semblance of order in a world of chaos. But when a renegade ex-soldier stumbles into their midst, lusts and loyalties clash, with tragic results. With Gate of Flesh, visionary director Seijun Suzuki delivers a whirlwind of social critique and pulp drama, shot through with brilliant colors and raw emotions.

6.5

MagicScore

The Sun's Burial

1960

In Osaka's slum, capricious folks without futures engage in pilfering, assault and robbery, prostitution, and the trading of ID cards and blood.

6.5

MagicScore

Pale Flower

1964

A gangster gets released from prison and has to cope with the recent shifts of power between the gangs, while taking care of a thrill-seeking young woman, who got in bad company while gambling.

7.3

MagicScore

Tattooed Life

1965

After his own gang sets him up to kill a rival mobster, a hit man is forced to flee with his younger brother.

7.0

MagicScore

Battles Without Honor and Humanity

1973

In the teeming black markets of postwar Japan, Shozo Hirono and his buddies find themselves in a new war between factious and ambitious yakuza.

7.3

MagicScore

Tokyo Drifter

1966

After yakuza boss Kurata dissolves his own criminal empire, a rival kingpin offers a position to Kurata's top operative, Tetsuya "Phoenix Tetsu" Hondo. When the fiercely loyal Tetsu declines, Otsuka taps unstoppable Tatsuzo the "Viper", a ruthless gun-for-hire, to assassinate him. As the Viper trails his target through the countryside, the agile Phoenix Tetsu grows concerned that one of his former associates has betrayed him.

7.1

MagicScore

A Clockwork Orange

1971

In a near-future Britain, young Alexander DeLarge and his pals get their kicks beating and raping anyone they please. When not destroying the lives of others, Alex swoons to the music of Beethoven. The state, eager to crack down on juvenile crime, gives an incarcerated Alex the option to undergo an invasive procedure that'll rob him of all personal agency. In a time when conscience is a commodity, can Alex change his tune?

8.2

MagicScore

A Family

2021

Taken in by the yakuza at a young age, Kenji swears allegiance to his old-school boss, pledging to adhere to the family code amid ever-changing times.

7.3

MagicScore

#10

Young Adult Matters

2021

Se-jin, a high school student, becomes pregnant and gets ostracized by her family and school. While wandering the streets, she meets Joo-yeong, an experienced runaway, and tries to get an abortion with Joo-yeong's help.

6.7

MagicScore

#11

Under the Open Sky

2021

Mikami, an ex-yakuza of middle age with most of his life in prison, gets released after serving 13 years of sentence for murder. Hoping to find his long lost mother, from whom he was separated as a child, he applies for a TV show and meets a young TV director Tsunoda. Meanwhile, he struggles to get a proper job and fit into society. His impulsive, adamant nature and ingrained beliefs cause friction in his relationship with Tsunoda and those who want to help him.

7.7

MagicScore

#12

Stray Cat Rock: Delinquent Girl Boss

1970

A wandering tough biker girl aids a female delinquent gang in their battles against an all-male Seiyu group over a fixed boxing match.

6.0

MagicScore

#13

All About the Benjamins

2002

Bounty hunter Bucum Jackson teams with the small-time con artist, Reggie Wright, that he is pursuing, in an attempt to locate a missing stash of diamonds and a lottery ticket worth millions of dollars. Bucum and Reggie find themselves in a race to the finish as they embark on an unlikely partnership that should -- when all is said and done -- prove beneficial to them both.

5.9

MagicScore

#14

The Pornographers

1966

Subu makes pornographic films. He sees nothing wrong with it. They are an aid to a repressed society, and he uses the money to support his landlady, Haru, and her family. From time to time, Haru shares her bed with Subu, though she believes her dead husband, reincarnated as a carp, disapproves. Director Shohei Imamura has always delighted in the kinky exploits of lowlifes, and in this 1966 classic, he finds subversive humor in the bizarre dynamics of Haru, her Oedipal son, and her daughter, the true object of her pornographer-boyfriend’s obsession. Imamura’s comic treatment of such taboos as voyeurism and incest sparked controversy when the film was released, but The Pornographers has outlasted its critics, and now seems frankly ahead of its time.

7.2

MagicScore

#15

Crazed Fruit

1956

Two brothers compete for the amorous favors of a young woman during a seaside summer of gambling, boating, and drinking.

6.9

MagicScore

#16

Kisses

1957

Kinichi and Akiko meet when they visit their fathers in prison. After successfully gambling on a bicycle race, they spend an enjoyable day together at the beach.

6.6

MagicScore

#17

The Affair

1967

As a young woman, Oriko condemned her widowed mother for openly pursuing relationships with younger men. After her mother passes away, she finds herself in an unhappy, loveless marriage and begins to understand her mother’s actions.

6.4

MagicScore

#18

Obsession

1944

Gino, a drifter, begins an affair with inn-owner Giovanna as they plan to get rid of her older husband.

7.5

MagicScore

#19

Floating Clouds

1955

A married Japanese forester during WWII is sent to Indochina to manage forests. He meets a young Japanese typist and promises to leave his wife. He doesn't and after the war, she turns up and the affair resumes.

7.7

MagicScore

#20

Stray Dog

1949

A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo’s sweltering streets for the stray dog whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal’s lives become more intertwined and the investigation becomes an examination of Murakami’s own dark side.

7.5

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Cruel Story of Youth?

The top films similar to Cruel Story of Youth by MovieMagicScore are Pigs and Battleships (7.1), Gate of Flesh (6.5), The Sun's Burial (6.5). Each shares crime/drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Cruel Story of Youth worth watching?

Cruel Story of Youth holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.5/10 from 66 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Cruel Story of Youth?

Cruel Story of Youth (1960) is a crime, drama, romance film directed by Nagisa Ōshima, starring Yūsuke Kawazu, Miyuki Kuwano, Yoshiko Kuga.

Where can I find more recommendations like Cruel Story of Youth?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more crime recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Pigs and Battleships Movies like Gate of Flesh Movies like The Sun's Burial Movies like Pale Flower Movies like Tattooed Life Movies like Battles Without Honor and Humanity

About movies like Cruel Story of Youth

This ranked list pairs Cruel Story of Youth (1960), a crime and drama and romance film from Nagisa Ōshima, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Yūsuke Kawazu take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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